


From the River to the Street (or Three Ways Aliyah Didn't Happen)

by lorij (Murphtastic)



Category: NCIS
Genre: Gen, I had a lot of feelings about that season finale, a what if death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-03
Updated: 2013-02-03
Packaged: 2017-11-28 00:13:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/668079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Murphtastic/pseuds/lorij
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three ways shit didn't go down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	From the River to the Street (or Three Ways Aliyah Didn't Happen)

**Author's Note:**

> Lyrics are taken from Green Day's "Viva la Gloria (Little Girl)" song. This was meant to be five things, but that...didn't happen, as we all can see.

_Little girl, little girl  
why are you crying?_

Ziva breaks down her own door in time to see Tony shoot Michael in the leg. Michael falls to his knees, a piece of bloody glass clutched in his hand. Ziva doesn’t know who to aim at, gun flashing between the two of them.

While Ziva stands there, stunned, Michael lifts the piece of glass and buries it in Tony’s side, twisting as he does it. Tony’s body arches and his gun drops to the floor, one hand trying to push Michael away. Michael twists the glass again and Tony’s hand falls to the floor, scrabbling at Ziva’s carpet for purchase and finding none.

Michael doesn’t look at Ziva as he stands up. He takes of his belt, ties a quick tourniquet, and picks up Tony’s gun. He limps towards Ziva and she can’t take her eyes off him, even though Tony is gasping in the background, trying to say something. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see the growing pool of blood, soaking into her carpet.

“I must go,” Michael tells her. He kisses Ziva on both cheeks and limps out the door. She hears the sound of an engine starting and she is still standing there, gun drawn, but no one to aim it at now.

“Zi—va,” It’s Tony, gasping out her name and she goes to him, kneeling down in the ever spreading pool of blood, feeling it soak into her pants. She doesn’t know what to say to Tony, so she kneels there and holds his gaze.

Tony does not reach out for her hand and he dies on her carpet minutes before the paramedics and police arrive, called there by her neighbors.

Ziva does not argue with the police when they take her into custody. She does not look away from Gibbs’ furious and grieving expression when he demands she explain this.

She hears later of the explosion at her apartment.

She has nothing to pack when Director Vance enters the interrogation room with two guards. Ziva could take them both out in seconds, but she does nothing. Only stares at the buttons on Vance’s shirt while he explains that she’s being sent back to Mossad. To her father, to Michael, and that she is not welcome at NCIS anymore. NCIS, Vance says, chewing on an ever present toothpick, will be re-evaluating its dealings with Mossad.

When the guards lead Ziva past her old team—on purpose, she realizes—they are gathered around Tony’s desk. Abby is sitting in Tony’s chair, clutching that stupid stapler of his while tears roll down her face. McGee and Ducky are comforting her and when they look at Ziva, they say nothing, but their expressions say everything. Abby is murderous, McGee confused and hurt and betrayed, and Ducky is full of anger.

Gibbs is the only one who does not look at Ziva. He’s placing Tony’s things in a box one by one, hands gentle and only slightly shaking on the items Tony held dear. Gibbs reaches into the bottom drawer of Tony’s desk and lifts out a lockbox and Ziva watches his fingers clench and turn white on the lockbox.

Gibbs does not look at Ziva when he says “ _Kol Tuv_ , Officer David.”

Be well.

Ziva is anything but.

The flight is long and uncomfortable and her father is waiting for her when she lands.

Michael is standing next to him.

Ziva takes a breath, realizes this is her life now, and walks towards her father and Michael.

************  
 _Little one, Little one  
the sky is falling._

The Mossad team Ziva calls extracts Michael in time.

Tony is sitting on the steps of her apartment when she brakes to a halt. His head is down and he does not look up at her as she approaches.

Ziva draws in breath to speak as Tony stands up. His white shirt is wrinkled and his tie is crooked. He looks tired.

He will not look at her. He looks down the street instead.

Tony says “Gibbs is on his way. You should go.”

“I will not.” Ziva says, but she hears the uncertaintity in her own voice.

Tony turns his head to look at her and his expression is shuttered, blank. “You should go, Ziva.” He says again, voice gentle. “I can’t protect you anymore. I can’t make this go away.”

Ziva knows he is right. She’s withheld too much, betrayed both Gibbs and NCIS by trading information with Michael. There will be consequences.

She reaches her hand out to touch Tony and he steps back from her.

His cell phone starts to ring and he reaches for it. “Go, Ziva. I’m sure you can find a way out of the country.”

Tony pulls the phone out of his pocket and glances at it. He flips it open, and his finger hovers over the buttons. He looks at her again. “ _Shalom_ , Ziva.”

And then Tony turns his back on her, bringing the phone up to his ear. “Yeah, boss.”

Ziva turns and walks away, moving faster as she hears the sirens approaching.

*******************  
 _Little girl little girl  
you dirty liar_

Hadar waits until Gibbs slips through the Mossad security net for coffee before showing Tony the real interrogation rooms.

By the time Gibbs gets back, it’s all over but the telling of how Anthony DiNozzo tried to escape and threatened the security officers. Ziva feels numb, unable to see anything but Tony’s open eyes.

Vance prevents an international incident, but barely. He and Ziva’s father hold a closed door meeting while Gibbs paces the hallway talking in a low and furious voice on his phone.

In the end, Mossad rules it a justified killing and Ziva accompanies Gibbs and Vance and Tony’s body to the airport. Gibbs is white hot fury and sorrow seated next to her.

Before they board, Gibbs leans in toward Ziva and whispers “Don’t let me see you in DC.” His smile is cold and Ziva does not doubt him.

*******************


End file.
